COLUMBIA, Missouri – In order to get the perspective of Auburn’s opponent in this Southeastern Conference opener (6:30 p.m., ESPNU), Kansas City Star columnist Blair Kerkhoff was nice enough to take time this week to field some questions about the Missouri program.

Q: While I know he’s just in his second year as the head coach at Mizzou, do you get the sense Barry Odom needs to turn this season around quickly in order to still be employed in his current position for the 2018 season?

BK: Yes. The start to the 2017 season erased any good feelings remaining from how 2016 ended, with victories over Vanderbilt and Arkansas in the final three games. Last weekend’s loss to Purdue may be something of a turning point in how fans see Odom. Mizzou was lifeless for much of the game.

Q: In your impression, what is wrong with Missouri’s defense? It seems and Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn has said he’s very impressed with the defensive line play so has it been too much inexperience and a lack of talent in the back seven?

BK: Defensive line play had been Missouri’s calling card for nearly a decade. Guys like Ziggy Hood, Sheldon RIchardson, Kony Ealy, Shane Ray and Charles Harris, plus several others, gave Mizzou the nickname “D-line U.” But suspensions, injuries have taken a toll on this year’s defense, especially the line. And it didn’t help when the position coach, Craig Kuligowski, wasn’t retained by Odom.

Missouri quarterback Drew Lock throws a pass during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game against Purdue, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

Q: Drew Lock was the Star’s All-Metro Player of the Year coming out of high school and I think he’s proven to have some of the best arm talent in the country. Is he having to do too much and that’s where the interceptions come from this season or is it a gunslinger mentality that Lock just can’t shake?

BK: Lock possesses the ideal size, athleticism and arm strength but has had trouble putting together complete games against top level (Power 5) competition. I don’t think the offense helps him. Missouri plays quickly and relies on high percentage passes. But in 17 SEC games heading into Auburn, Lock has completed fewer than 50 percent, with 18 interceptions and 13 touchdowns. He sees more sophisticated looks in the SEC and is still learning to make adjustments.

Q: If Missouri has a wild card that could keep the game close and/or pull off this upset, is it the health of running back Damarea Crockett and his ability to keep Missouri’s defense off the field.

BK: Crockett is a terrific player and his bruised tailbone that caused him to miss the second half against South Carolina had some carry over impact against Purdue. He should be in better shape this weekend and as one of Mizzou’s top play-makers had the ability to change the game.

Q: Big picture question: How is Missouri’s transition to the Southeastern Conference going in your estimation? This is obviously Auburn’s first trip to Columbia in school history and while it seems like a basic question, I’d love to get your two cents on how Missouri is handling not having a geographic rivalry in their conference for their fans and boosters to get excited about each and every season? Or is it not that that naïve or simple at Missouri?

BK: Missouri is thrilled to be in the SEC. Gary Pinkel had built a strong program that came into the conference ready to compete and won two divisions. A convergence of issues have contributed to the current state. The campus protests of November, 2015 cast Mizzou in a negative light and have impacted national perception and enrollment. Barry Odom didn’t inherit a strong roster and is still learning on the job as a second-year head coach. Also, I believed Mizzou’s recruiting would dip in the first few years of SEC membership as it emphasized more Southeast targets. It’s showing up now. The Tigers miss their Big 12 rivals like Kansas, Nebraska and Kansas State. The Arkansas rivalry is budding and will take time to develop but all in all, Mizzou is where it wants to be.